flexiblefullpage -
billboard - default
interstitial1 - interstitial
catfish1 - bottom
Currently Reading

5 'giant' trends poised to change the face of construction

Giants 400

5 'giant' trends poised to change the face of construction

We’ve identified five emerging trends that are likely to transform the construction market in the near future.


By David Barista, Editorial Director | July 16, 2018

Once a novelty, offsite construction is taking hold across the industry, as labor shortages persist, the Lean movement grows, and tech-based workflows become prevalent. Photo courtesy Katerra

As the BD+C editorial team wrapped up work on the 42nd annual Giants 300 report in late June, a number of intriguing industry trends and themes bubbled to the surface. Some are new to us, others simply confirmed our original notions.

The Giants 300 report agglomerates financial data and business dealings from the nation’s largest architecture, engineering, and construction firms (a record-number 480 firms submitted data this year). The AEC “Giants” are a powerful group. Collectively, they represent 60-80% of all design and construction work completed in the nonresidential buildings market in a given year, depending on the building sector and discipline.

Compiling the Giants 300 report gives BD+C editors a unique, bird’s-eye view of the market. Based on the 2018 report, we’ve identified five emerging trends that are likely to transform the construction market in the near future:

1. Offsite construction is here to stay. Once a novelty, offsite construction is taking hold across the industry, as labor shortages persist, the Lean movement grows, and tech-based workflows become prevalent. Major GCs are moving toward manufacturing-based operations, and select owners are requiring prefab on projects.

2. Silicon Valley is eyeing AEC. Billions in venture capital and strategic funding are flooding the AEC market, as nontraditional industries (especially tech) see dollar signs in the transformation of this antiquated, low-margin industry. A Built Worlds report identified 25 VC funds, strategic funds, and accelerators actively targeting AEC. The industry’s new darling, Katerra, nabbed a whopping $865 million from SoftBank. There’s plenty more to come.      

3. AI adoption is on the horizon. BD+C has reported on a host of early AI-tech adopters in the AEC market, including Mortenson Construction and WeWork. With the rise of “off-the-shelf” AI solutions, rampant adoption of AI is near. A recent McKinsey report found use cases for AI across the entire project lifecycle.

4. Data is the bottleneck. If tools like AI and AR/VR are the race cars, then data is the fuel—and the industry has a fuel crisis. Experts cite multiple reasons for the data deficit: the siloed nature of AEC, timeliness of the data, “fuzzy” data, and questions about who owns and controls the data. Until the industry can solve its data bottleneck, AEC firms will have a difficult time realizing the full potential of tech tools.

5. Smart buildings are the new green. Prediction: Within seven years, the U.S. market will have a “smart certified” designation, and the label will be as prominent as green/sustainability, health/wellness, and resiliency. Why? Because smart buildings are highly marketable, owner friendly, productivity focused, and resource efficient.

Download BD+C’s report, “Commercial Construction Market Trends: 2018 and Beyond,” here.

Related Stories

Giants 400 | Oct 30, 2017

Rewriting history: Legacy building conversions spur redevelopment in America’s older cities

Businesses, developers, and civic leaders are repurposing existing structures to celebrate history, attract tenants, and serve as a catalyst for future development.

Giants 400 | Oct 26, 2017

Top 115 reconstruction construction firms

Gilbane Building Co., Structure Tone, and Turner Construction Co. top BD+C’s ranking of the nation’s largest reconstruction sector contractors and construction management firms, as reported in the 2017 Giants 300 Report.

Giants 400 | Oct 26, 2017

Top 70 reconstruction engineering firms

WSP, Jensen Hughes, and STV top BD+C’s ranking of the nation’s largest reconstruction sector engineering and EA firms, as reported in the 2017 Giants 300 Report.

Giants 400 | Oct 24, 2017

Top 160 reconstruction architecture firms

Gensler, Jacobs, and Stantec top BD+C’s ranking of the nation’s largest reconstruction sector architecture and AE firms, as reported in the 2017 Giants 300 Report.

Giants 400 | Oct 23, 2017

Wooing jocks and fans

Colleges are going all out to optimize the fan experience and make the most of student athletes’ time.

Giants 400 | Oct 20, 2017

Top 20 sports engineering firms

WSP, Walter P Moore, and ME Engineers top BD+C’s ranking of the nation’s largest sports sector engineering and EA firms, as reported in the 2017 Giants 300 Report.

Giants 400 | Oct 20, 2017

Top 40 sports architecture firms

Populous, HOK, and HKS top BD+C’s ranking of the nation’s largest sports sector architecture and AE firms, as reported in the 2017 Giants 300 Report.

Giants 400 | Oct 19, 2017

Race for talent drives office designs

Is the shift toward attracting younger workers too much or not enough?

Giants 400 | Oct 18, 2017

Top 105 office construction firms

Turner Construction Co., Structure Tone, and Holder Construction top BD+C’s ranking of the nation’s largest office sector contractors and construction management firms, as reported in the 2017 Giants 300 Report.

Giants 400 | Oct 17, 2017

Top 60 office engineering firms

AECOM, WSP, and Thornton Tomasetti top BD+C’s ranking of the nation’s largest office sector engineering and EA firms, as reported in the 2017 Giants 300 Report.

boombox1 - default
boombox2 -
native1 -

More In Category


Giants 400

Call for surveys: 2024 Giants 400 Report

Building Design+Construction's annual Giants 400 Report ranks the nation's top architecture, architecture/engineering (AE), engineering/architecture (EA), general contractors, and fee-based construction management (CM) firms, by revenue. You’ll want to be sure your firm is on the Giants 400 lists, as potential clients look to these rankings for prospective firms to design and construct their future projects.


Giants 400

BD+C's Giants 400 Rankings

Every spring, the editors of Building Design+Construction survey the nation's largest architecture, engineering, and construction firms to identify the most prominent design and construction firms across 25 building sectors and specialty categories. Meet the Giants 400.


halfpage1 -

Most Popular Content

  1. 2021 Giants 400 Report
  2. Top 150 Architecture Firms for 2019
  3. 13 projects that represent the future of affordable housing
  4. Sagrada Familia completion date pushed back due to coronavirus
  5. Top 160 Architecture Firms 2021